1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and devices for attenuating or dissipating wave energy. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable systems and devices deployable in a body of water between generated waves and a shoreline to be protected from wave impact.
2. Description of Related Art
Anyone living along a shoreline, whether at the ocean, along a river, or beside a lake or pond, is familiar with erosion. While some processes of erosion are subtler than others, waves produce the most apparent and rapid shoreline erosion. Underwater currents or external weather events may generate waves. In addition, human activities, such as boating, produce sporadic but particularly devastating erosive waves. The on going and apparently increasing interest in the use of watercraft, particularly in confined bodies of water, indicates that shoreline erosion problems will remain and may increase.
The owners of shoreline property have to date had little recourse to prevent the man-made waves and certainly no recourse in regard to naturally generated waves. As a result, periodic and costly repair of the shoreline is generally seen as the only way to respond to the impact of erosion. Of course, it is possible to introduce breakwater systems formed of boulders, rocks, timbers, concrete structures, and the like into the water. The breakwater is intended to do as its name suggests: break up the flow of the water, whether in the form of a wave or an undercurrent, as it approaches the shoreline. That is done on occasion and typically seen in oceanside locations. However, such structures are permanently set in a fixed position and they tend to disrupt the natural appearance of the shoreline. Moreover, they ordinarily fall under the purview of governmental authorities that place breakwaters for the intended common good of the general public, a particular group, or as part of a larger plan or project. Although private individuals may place fixed breakwaters in the vicinity of their shorelines, assuming they have the right to put such structures in the water, they can be quite expensive. In addition, they may not be able to block all incoming waves, dependent on changes in the direction of the waves. Moreover, they have a tendency to disrupt the natural appearance and/or usage of the shoreline. It is also to be noted that these structures are quite rigid and therefore deflect or transfer the wave energy from one location to another. That deflected energy may simply cause damage at another location.
Therefore, what is needed is a breakwater system or device that is suitable for dissipating or attenuating the energy associated with waves coming into a shoreline. Further, what is needed is such a breakwater system or device that is relatively inexpensive and simple to install in comparison to the introduction of existing fixed breakwater structures. Yet further, what is needed is a breakwater system that absorbs wave energy rather than simply deflecting it. Also, what is needed is a breakwater system that is relatively portable such that it may be moved to a plurality of sites as desired by the user. Moreover, what is needed is a breakwater system that minimizes the disruption to the appearance and/or use of the natural shoreline.